Bronx Zoo

Yesterday I got up earlier than usual, left my house at 4:20 am to meet a bus by 5:45. Departure was at 6 am sharp and I went with 39 complete strangers***. We rode said bus (added "bonus" the weigh station was open so we had to join the semi's in getting weighed) until just after 10:00 to spend the next 7 hours here.

Had a great time and hit everything that I was interested in (left off the Mouse House, camel ride, nature walk, tree top adventure and the Bug Carousel). (map link for better viewing) I could have easily hit some of those if I had wanted to - and I did it all by walking, I did not use the shuttle at all. Not sure I would have gone on the Wild Asia Monorail if I'd thought about it beforehand. Heights are not my friend and the first thing after pulling out of the station is cross a bridge over the Bronx river at 35' above the water. The bridge consisted of the rails only and while sitting you are facing out the open side of the car (instead of facing the front). Most of the rest of the loop has enough trees around that I wasn't forced to realize how far away the ground was. And then of course, there was the second bridge over the river before pulling back into the station. All was good and I was glad I took the ride. Shortly after 6 pm we left the parking lot to head back home. Had to stop at the weigh station to change drivers (it wasn't open so didn't have to drive over the scales this time). It was 10:58 pm when I walked into my house - so it was a long day.

 

*** Complete strangers - People that work for the same company as I do (which employees about 6,000 people in NH). I've never met any of the people, so they were strangers but also I have reason to completely trust them as I know where they work :) )

Now that Covid restrictions are over, the employee engagement team has arranged more trips. The engagement team does all the planning and hires a bus (with bathroom) to take us to our destination. Of course there is a fee associated. But that fee includes tickets to the event as well as driver and gas. Looking at the zoo website group tickets cost $8 less than if bought individually (and with the "Full Experience".

Comments

[Cop Car]

What a wonderful opportunity for you and other employees, going on such jaunts. You reminded me that I have become less fearless about heights as I've aged. Perhaps the same has been your experience. (I recall when you were 17 and you went out on an aerobatic flight with my friend - in an open cockpit plane.)

You got your workout!

[bogie]

Planes are totally different and don't bother me at all. To some extent, the less control of a situation that I have, the less it bothers me. If I'd had to drive the Monorail, that would have been downright terrifying.

I've had trouble with heights since the at least the early 90's. Riding the tram on Cannon Mountain in the 90's, I had vertigo for the first couple of feet, but after that I was fine (nice solid walls and glass windows help). Driving over the bridge to get to Niagara falls in 2006, I had to move to the center lane to keep my cool - good thing I wasn't on a bike.

[Cop Car]

You definitely take after your dad. He stopped the car so that I could drive us across Royal Gorge. I think that was in approximately 2004. I was also the one who usually did any work that required getting onto the roof of a house such as installing the TV antenna on Sunrise although HH did, on occasion, surprise me by getting onto the roof, himself. Now, I am still the one who replaces burned out floods under the eaves of this house but the end is in sight for such ladder work. I am too unsteady on flat floors, let alone climbing ladders.
Dudette said, Saturday, that Wonderful GrandDaughter is working with a physical therapist to better align the crystals in her ears. As you probably know, WGD gets severe benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.